Mysten Labs appointed Kevin Boon president on January 9, 2025, elevating him from chief legal officer, effective immediately1. Its board of directors made the move by vote. Boon took on the role alongside Chief Executive Officer Evan Cheng, overseeing strategy and operations. The Sui blockchain developer was then headed toward its planned launch of Walrus Protocol's mainnet.
Two leadership moves at Mysten Labs on the record since 2025
Every move CryptoLately has verified there, by the day it became public
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 9, 2025 | Boon became President. Kevin Boon was named President of Mysten Labs |
| Aug. 5, 2026 | Blackshear left as CTO. Sam Blackshear left as Chief Technology Officer of Mysten Labs |
59 executive hires on the record in 2025, the most of any year
Executive hires CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2025: 59
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 39 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 | 45 |
The move
Boon described the company's recent run in a statement that doubled as a mission check. “The past seventeen months have been an absolute whirlwind of growth and upward momentum for Mysten Labs,” he said. “As our founders often say, we're only 1% done, and I am overjoyed to support this incredible team in their growth during these transformational times for our industry”1. The Block's Sarah Wynn pressed him on the timing. “The timing is really quite wonderful in our view because there's so much change that's happening in the regulatory landscape,” Boon told her, adding that a lawyer in crypto has “to understand industry, you have to understand technology, you had to understand the way the regulatory patterns are looking”2.
Mysten Labs framed the appointment around Boon's legal track record. “His ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes while fostering strategic partnerships has been instrumental in shaping Mysten Labs' trajectory as a leading blockchain infrastructure company,” the company's blog post said1. Wynn reported Boon's first major task: leading the company “through the release of Walrus Protocol's Mainnet, expected to launch 'very soon' in 2025”2.
Before and after the promotion
Boon had served as Mysten Labs' chief legal officer, overseeing legal, business development, corporate development and strategic communications, the company's blog said1. Earlier in his career he was general counsel at Picsart. He also led product and regulatory legal teams at Block, the payments firm founded by Jack Dorsey, and worked as lead counsel across retail teams at Amazon. A law degree from Fordham and a fine arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University round out his credentials.
Boon's new role reached beyond Walrus. The Block reported he planned to pursue stablecoin partnerships for Sui once federal legislation clarified the rules, saying “you're seeing a rush for teams to create stablecoins because there's just so much opportunity there”2. He also pointed to gaming as a growth area, telling Wynn to "keep an eye on gaming" ahead of announcements he declined to detail.
What came next
Mysten Labs elevated Sylvia Favretto to general counsel on February 4, 2025, Law.com reported3. That came less than a month after Boon moved from chief legal officer to president on January 9. Favretto had spent over a decade at the law firm A&O Shearman before joining Mysten Labs. Law.com reported her promotion “coincides with the company becoming a member of the Blockchain Association and the Digital Chamber,” two trade groups she intended to work with on crypto policy.
Sources
- Mysten Labs, "Mysten Labs Appoints Kevin Boon as President," Mysten Labs Blog, Jan. 9, 2025, https://www.mystenlabs.com/blog/mysten-labs-appoints-kevin-boon-as-president
- Sarah Wynn, "New year, new position as former Mysten Labs' CLO Kevin Boon moves to president role," The Block, Jan. 9, 2025, https://www.theblock.co/post/333700/new-year-new-position-as-former-mysten-labs-clo-kevin-boon-moves-to-president-role
- Michael A. Mora, "Sylvia Favretto Elevated to Mysten Labs' General Counsel," Law.com, Feb. 4, 2025, https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2025/02/04/sylvia-favretto-elevated-to-mysten-labs-general-counsel/